My favorite conversations with ChatGPT usually last months—until ChatGPT suddenly crashes, and I lose valuable information. It’s happened to me one time too many, which got me thinking: why do my ChatGPT conversations keep crashing?
Why I Think ChatGPT Keeps Crashing
This issue largely concerns the amount of memory ChatGPT uses and stores. Each time I enter new details, it’s like storing something in a virtual brain. The only problem is that this brain has to dig deep to use that context effectively in future responses.
My browser isn’t causing this issue. At first, I thought it was an issue with Safari using too much memory. However, I encountered the same challenges in Google Chrome. There’s still a delay on my mobile devices (and significant battery drainage), but my conversations are at least accessible on those devices.
How I Think OpenAI Should Fix This Problem
I don’t like complaining without trying to find a solution, and I think OpenAI has a few options to fix this issue.
1. Optional Memory Clearance Pop-Ups
While I could clear my ChatGPT memory in my settings, I don’t always remember. It’s like cleaning up your computer; you often only do it when you have to.
Besides the many ChatGPT UI improvements I recommend, ChatGPT should send a pop-up for conversations when they get big. Something simple like: “This conversation is getting quite big: Do you want to clear your memory?” followed by yes and no buttons would work.
Now, ChatGPT does prompt you that a conversation is ending when a specific chat runs out of tokens, but this crashing process happened to me before that. It feels like it’s caught somewhere in the middle.
2. Don’t Save Data Older Than 30 Days
Since I typically encounter this problem after a month or so of consistent inputs, ChatGPT might perform more quickly by deleting old data.
I see this feature working like Slack. If you have a free plan, your chat data could automatically be cleared after 30 days. If you have Plus or Pro, you can choose whether you want this to happen. For OpenAI, it might incentivize more people to pay for a subscription—leading to more revenue and not just a better user experience.
3. Better Cross-Device Syncing
ChatGPT’s conversations already sync across multiple devices, but I find these slower than other apps. For example, Notion normally updates in real-time—and without much lag—when I open the mobile app after using it on my computer.
I don’t know how you’d do this since I’m not a developer. I also guess that it’s more difficult with AI. Nonetheless, I do believe that it would be possible.
